Russia is a nation that is serious about its games and diversions, as seen in the hundreds of color illustrations in this exhibition catalog, which depicts paintings and sculptures with styles ranging from folk art to modern. Many games are here, including cards, dice, roulette, and chess, along with children's toys and such pastimes as fortune telling and dueling. Here too are chapters detailing Russia's festivals, musical instruments, board games, and sports, along with a gallery that references the games favored by various Russian luminaries; capsule biographies of the artists represented in the book; and a survey of famous duelists.